3 Steps Forward, 2 Steps Back

Today was a rough day, and Grace is in need of your prayers!

Grace returned from rehab to the ICU today.

Grace has a high fever today, and seems to keep getting infections. The doctors don't seem to know where they are coming from. Mom suspects that they might be lung infections, possibly related to the feeding tube, and she's asking for tests to rule that out. They're giving medications through Grace's feeding tube, which hasn't proven to be as effective as IVs were.

Grace has been storming a lot today, presumably due to the infections, and the medications haven't been able to bring things under control. The question of whether the staff should sedate Grace to stop the storming has come up, but doing so would require that Grace go back on the ventilator.

At the care meeting today, the doctors discussed the possibility of Grace going home in another 3 weeks. Mom was a bit shocked, and began to think about logistics. The family's home layout is not very conducive to Grace returning home in this condition, and 3 weeks isn't much time to find another place and move in the midst of everything else.

Mom said she was quite exhausted after the day today, but she also said that she knows things will come back and that she hasn't given up!

Please pray for:

• An immediate end to the infections for Grace and family
  
• Complete recovery for Grace
• Strong marriage/unity for mom and dad
• Financial Provision (If you are interested in helping in this area please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com for more info.)

One day at a time

Mom's update was quick tonight. Mom is coming down with a cold and needs prayer to remain healthy and full of energy.

Grace had a rough night last night. Her storming has continued and seems to occur with the least bit of stimulation. The medical staff was not allowing Mom and Dad to hold her at all due to her increase in storming. Mom finally was able to convince the medical staff that Mom's touch would help with the matter. Sure enough in the middle of a storming episode Mom held her and the storming began to lessen and then disappeared.

The family has a Care Meeting tomorrow where long term plans for Grace will be discussed. Mom is concerned about the timing of the meeting. She does not feel that now is the time to be discussing long term plans when Grace's progress has been interrupted by two infections.

Dad was spending some time with Grace this evening so I do not have any information regarding Grace's progress tonight.

Please pray for:

• Storming to cease
• Grace to return to her talkative self
• Strong marriage/unity
• Faith through the good reports and the not so good reports
• Infections to leave her body quickly
• Care Meeting tomorrow
• Entire family's health
• Financial Provision (If you are interested in helping in this area please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com for more info.)

Pivotal Times

Mom said today that it's a pivotal time for Grace.

A test determined that Grace has what may be the beginnings of a bladder infection. Also, the storming has kicked back up to a level higher than it's been since Grace left ICU. To control the storming, the staff started using some drugs that aren't normally used in the rehab area. If it continues, it's possible that Grace may transfer back to the ICU.

Since Grace transferred to Rehab, mom hasn't had as much time to pray alone with Grace. Mom's going to ask the staff for an hour a day for "prayer therapy."

Also, Grace's family is starting to come down with things. Dad is fighting a sickness, as is Grace's oldest brother. It's keeping mom from being able to go to the hospital to be with Grace at this crucial juncture.

Thank you for all your prayers and awesome support! Please keep your comments coming - they are very encouraging for mom and dad!

Please pray for:

• Healing from the infection Grace is fighting
• People who will intercede at the hospital for Grace while mom stays home with dad/brother
• An end to the storming
• Strong marriage/unity for mom and dad
• Complete healing for dad and middle brother
• Complete healing/return of function for Grace
• Financial Provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail us at info@gracegoodday.com for more info)

Do not throw away your confidence - Hebrews

Last night and this morning were tough days for Mom. Grace has been storming more often than before. Mom suspects it is due to the infection in her gut along with the fact that they are decreasing her storming medication all at the same time. Mom and Dad continue to stand in faith that the storming will cease!

Grace coughed 7 times in one hour today and continues to cough consistently. Remember that the only reason Grace has the trach is to keep her airway open. Coughing is an indication that Grace is beginning to be able to do this by herself. Praise God! Mom commented, "There are some things I just know and others I am not sure of, but I know that the trach is temporary!"

Mom requested prayer for their middle son. He had come down with what they thought was the flu. Mom is concerned that he is becoming dehydrated and is considering taking him into the doctor tomorrow due to symptoms persisting for a several days.

Mom received her encouragement for the day from an e-mail of a friend. The Bible Verse that encouraged her was Hebrews 10:35 "So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised". Mom explained that "throwing your confidence away" is easy to do in the face of looking at the physical world, but that this verse encouraged her with the next verse that states that she needs to continue to "persevere" and to do"God's Will". The family continues to obey God by standing in faith and reading and believing His Word. Finally, the verse concluded by stating, "you will receive what is promised" which Mom personalized the verse to the promise God has given her two times. The promise to Mom has remained that Grace IS healed in Jesus Name! Wow, what a timely verse that speaks to this situation in so many different ways.

Please pray for:

• Storming to cease immediately
• Strong marriage/unity
• Middle son's health
• Coughing to continue/gag reflex to return - result would be trach removed
• Healing of infection in gut
• Financial Provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail us at info@gracegoodday.com for more info)

Little by little

Grace continues to respond. Today mom was holding her, and as mom put her down Grace's heart rate went up. It's almost like Grace was having a tantrum in her own spunky little way and saying "Mommy! don't leave me!" Grace recognizes what's going on, even if she can't verbalize it yet.

Grace has a bit of an infection today. Nothing too serious, but she has a temperature of 99.5 and she's had a lot of bowel movements leading to a bit of diaper rash. It may be related to the large doses of antibiotics Grace recieved upon arriving at the hospital. The antibiotics were very effective in killing off infections, but they also can kill off helpful bacteria and affect the equilibrium. While the infection lingers, Grace isn't allowed to leave the room.

The staff in the rehab wing is incredible. One staffer said "I'm not supposed to say this, but because I know your beliefs I want you to know that I'm praying for Grace." Other members on staff read scripture in Grace's room. Some have cried over the situation.

The storming episodes come and go. Depending on the time of day, the staff changes Grace's medication to allow for therapy. When the dosage is less, the storming increases.

Mom and Dad are in a bit of a dilemma with how to spend their time. On one hand, they really appreciate all the love and support they are recieving! They've commented on many occasions how they don't know what they'd do without all the support! On the other hand, they don't know how to deal with their phone "ringing constantly." They don't want to be rude to people who show that they care, but constantly being on the phone takes away from time with the family and prevents accomplishing even the smallest of tasks. To date, they are still looking for the best way to set that boundry.

Please pray for:

• A strong marriage/unity for mom and dad
• Wisdom for mom and dad to know how to best put their family first
• Grace's complete recovery and full brain function
• Financial provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com)

Overwhelming support!

Mom and Dad have been overwhelmed with phone calls giving support and asking for updates! They are very grateful and appreciative for all the support! They are trying to find the best way to balance time at home with their two young boys against spending time on the phone being encouraged. As always, we at GraceGoodDay.com talk to mom and dad once a day (often more) and work hard to post updates as frequently as possible.

Now that Grace is on the rehab floor, Mom and Dad are beginning to train on numerous different ways to care for Grace. There is a lengthy checklist of items to master before Grace would be able to go home. Dad is getting very excited to care for Grace, and had made it a priority to learn things quickly!

Dad was very excited to hold Grace today for the first time since the incident! Also, at one point today Grace's blood pressure was a bit high. Mom began holding Grace, and Grace's blood pressure went down to normal. Even though Grace isn't yet able to interact as before the incident, she is showing a consistent pattern of understanding and responding to her surroundings - yet one more thing that doctors said would never happen!

The storming did come back a bit today, and physical therapy was reduced accordingly. In general, not many new developments with Grace manifested themselves in the physical realm today.

Mom met with the hospital chaplain today, and was greeted with an interesting perspective. Typically, hospitals do not attempt to revive people as long as they worked to revive Grace. However, they usually want parents to see the hospital staff doing all they can before giving up. Mom and dad were delayed in arriving at the hospital, and so the staff kept at it until after mom and dad arrived. Much to the doctor's amazement, Grace came back. The chaplain was instructed to tell mom and dad upon their arrival that the staff was doing all they could, but that Grace would not live. The chaplain mentioned that the staff was doing all they could, but in this case felt inclined to leave off the second part of the message. Nearly 4 weeks later, Grace continues to defy all odds.

Mom and Dad continue to read and appreciate your comments! Even a simple comment like "I'm praying for you" is extremely encouraging!

Please pray for:

• A strong marriage/unity for mom and dad
• Grace's complete return of brain function and complete recovery
• Storming to cease
• Financial provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com)

The Little Red Wagon

Grace isn't barefoot chasing butterflies through fields of wildflowers (yet) but she is doing the next best thing. She went on a wagon ride through the halls of the hospital!

Now that Grace is in rehab, she's got places to go and people to see. She keeps a very busy schedule of physical therapy and misc. appointments. She's more or less in a "Have your people call my people, and we'll set something up" mode. In addition to all the nurses, doctors and physical therapists, Grace has a patient advocate seeing to her needs 24/7.

The list of "Grace will never do X" keeps getting steadily shorter. Not only is she breathing on her own, she's also coughed several times. You may remember from previous posts that the main reason for Grace having a tracheotomy in the first place was that the Doctors didn't think Grace had enough brain function to cough. Now she does!

The storming episodes are receeding! It used to be that any stimulation would cause prolonged storming. In Rehab, Grace has constant therapy/stimulation, they're weening her off of the major drugs, and the storming has been minimal!

While all of that is welcomed progress, something even more incredible happened today! More than once, Grace opened her eyes to the sound of hearing mom's voice! Who knows? Maybe once they can stop the drugs she'll be able to talk again!

Grace's brothers are doing very well! Today her oldest brother walked into the house of the family caring for him. He walked right to the kitchen table, and sat down to quietly wait for breakfast. Yep. He's 2.

Please pray for the following:

• A strong marriage for mom and dad
• Grace's brain functioning to be fully restored
• Grace's return to a full, normal life with NO long term effects from this situation
• The nurses/doctors to be greatly blessed for their fresh perspective regarding Grace
• Storming to cease
• Financial provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com)

Also, Mom and Dad don't quite grasp how many of you are out there following Grace's progress and praying. They are very encouraged by the comments they see. If you can spare 30 seconds, it would really mean a lot to Mom and Dad if you could post a comment. Even a simple "I'm praying for you" means a lot!

"Hope is allowed on this floor"

Grace has moved to the Rehabilitation floor and I feel that mom's comment, "Hope is allowed on this floor" sums up her thoughts perfectly. Mom reports that it is a totally different atmosphere. Grace is receiving a lot more attention and time. She has a daily schedule which includes physical, occupational and speech therapy. The medical staff on this floor agree with Mom and Dad whole heartily that "no one should say anything in front of Grace that we wouldn't want her to hear". The nurses speak to her when they care for her just like they would any three year old little girl. Mom and Dad are greatly encouraged by this fresh perspective - prayers are being answered left and right!

Medically, Grace is doing about the same. Her storming seems to be improving some and the nurses on this floor have encouraged Mom to hold and rock her when she storms. Her feet have "dropped" which basically means they do not stand up when she is laying down due to loss of muscle tone. Therefore, they will be injecting botox and going through a series of casts on her feet to help improve this situation. She has increased secretion with the trach so they are giving her some medicine to help control that.

Mom's day was filled with the medical staff listening to her and beginning to teach her how to care for Grace. They have asked and encouraged her input with Grace's care. Mom will begin to learn how to care for Grace's trach tomorrow. Once Mom is proficient at this, she will be able to take Grace on walks in a wheel chair.

Mom reported that Grace squeezed her hand twice today. This is something new! The first time it happened Mom said, "Grace I am going to let go of your hand so I can grab a pen" and Grace squeezed her hand. The second time Mom said, "Grace I am going to let go of your hand to answer the cell phone" and again she squeezed Mom's hand. WOW! Mom commented that it was almost as if Grace was trying to tell her Mom, "please do not let go". Mom was hesitant to get too excited about this, but did say the fact that it happened twice was such an encouragement.

The lady taking care of the boys has continued to be such a blessing to the family. She has offered to watch the boys while Mom and Dad go to counseling. She also was gracious enough to offer them to have the boys spend the night one Friday so the couple could have a date night.

Please pray for:

• Grace to "wake up" and come to full consciousness
• Grace's brain functioning to be fully restored
• The nurses/doctors to be greatly blessed for their fresh perspective regarding Grace
• Storming to cease
• Balance and endurance for the family
• Financial provision for the family (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com)

Keep up the comments! You do not realize how much of an encouragement the comments are to the family.

Moving on out...NEW FLOOR TOMORROW!

Happy Easter everyone! The family was greeted on this Resurrection Sunday with the news that Grace would be for sure moving to the Rehabilitation floor tomorrow (Monday). The ventilator is no longer even in her room! Praise God!

Mom got to hold Grace for the first time tonight. She held her while they watched her favorite movie, "Finding Nemo". Grace opened her eyes a couple of times today and wiggled her toes. Grace was receiving artificial tears before and now she is producing tears on her own. These tears are a source of sadness and joy for Mom and Dad. On one hand it is one more thing to add to the list of things she is doing on her own, but on the other tears are hard for a parent to see on their child's face. It is hard for the doctors to tell at this point if these movements are due to storming/reflexive or a sign of something greater. We are believing that they are just the beginning of the physical manifestation of her healing!

Grace was greeted by the Easter bunny today who loaded her down with stuffed animals. Mom is excited to decorate her room in Rehab with all of them. All of the family's favorite nurses seem to be on shift tonight and are taking special time to say goodbye to Grace, as this will be their last night caring for her in the ICU.

The culture for the possible infection in Grace's lungs came back fine - yet the doctors are still concerned and monitoring things closely.

Mom was challenged today to pray for other people other than Grace. God has really layed it on her heart that God's blessings and healing are not limited. God has challenged Mom to begin to add others and their healing/difficult situations to her prayer list even throughout this extremely trying time in her own life.

Please pray for:

• Grace's transition to the Rehabilitation floor (nurses and doctors who have a fresh perspective, hope and who will stand in faith alongside them)
• Wisdom for the family in dividing their time and balancing their many responsibilities
• Storming to cease and for Grace to come to consciousness
• Endurance for the family through this time
• Brain function to be completely restored
• Financial provision (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com for more information.)

Again, thank you for your comments. Thank you for all those who are keeping up with this amazing little girl and her family. It is incredible to see friends of friends of friends of friends be so dedicated to checking on her progress and praying daily for her healing. The family thanks you for your diligence! Keep up the comments :)

Move that mountain - MIRACLE!

The title of this post is the daily prayer of two year old twins that the family knows. Each night that they pray for Grace the twins shout, "Move that mountain - MIRACLE". Kids are certainly not afraid to have faith. Let us be uninhibited in our faith like these young children!

Grace spent most of the time without the ventilator today. They are still giving her the ventilator at night in order to allow her lungs a rest. The doctors did her trach change last night and it without complications. Her storming has been well controlled with medicine and her blood pressure seems to be falling in line also.

In the previous post we had mentioned that Grace would be moving to the Rehabilitation floor on Monday, this is still a definite possibility, but could change due to her needed time on the ventilator at night.

A culture showed some bacteria in Grace's lungs. The complete culture will be done tomorrow and we will receive more conclusive results then. Her chest x-rays look just fine so the doctors are hesitant to give her antibiotics until they see the culture.

Dad got to spend a lot of time with Grace today. He had time to read a book on intercessory prayer and was greatly encouraged. He mentioned that Grace, "looks cute of course". She is definitely a daddy's girl :)

Dad also mentioned that work was going well. His company has graciously decided to pay him for his extended absence during this difficult time. The company is also giving Dad extreme flexibility with taking time off to be with Grace.

God continues to provide for the family financially. They are continuing to believe that God will provide their full deductible for their insurance. Amazingly, there insurance policy does NOT have a limit on the maximum amount of benefits the insurance will pay for which is incredible!

The family requested prayer for balance. They are being pulled in so many different directions and all the directions are equally important. They were encouraged by a friend who mentioned to them today that, "this to shall pass" and that at this point Dad and Mom needed to "divide their time and conquer".

This whole incident with Grace has effected so many people in countless ways. Dad was mentioning that Grace's testimony thus far has been a contributing factor in moving people closer to a salvation decision. Praise God!

The family is SO thankful for your support and encouragement. Dad mentioned today that he prays that "God blesses all the people that have blessed them".

Please keep up the comments on the blog - feel free to comment as often as you have time. The family receives encouragement from the frequency and the number of posts. The family needs to know that we are still standing in faith and fighting for Grace with them three weeks later and beyond!

Please pray for:

• Grace's transition to the Rehabilitation floor
• Grace's lungs - (culture shows no infection)
• Storming to cease
• Balance for the family (marriage, work, hospital and the boys)
• Financial provision (If you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com for more info.)
• Child - like faith for Dad and Mom, as well as, all those people that are supporting them in this journey

Records are made to be broken

Grace is a very energetic little girl! If you're reading this, it should come as no surprise that she now holds a new record: among those who had been revived at her hospital, none had been underwater as long as Grace was.

Grace's progress continues to amaze the doctors. After 3 weeks of relying on machines, she was able to breathe a FULL DAY UNASSISTED! They put her back on the ventilator for the time being to give her a chance to rest, but that is HUGE!

After weeks of the medical staff ranging somewhere between seeing no hope to sneering at the sight of it, Mom and Dad had 3 medical professionals today agree that "she is going to make it." As the Rehab staff begins to come to ICU to prepare for grace to move over to their floor, they're interacting with the ICU doctors saying things like "She doesn't need that right now... that's too much stimulation. please come back later" - They're saying things that mom would have had to say before!

The storming has lessened today, although the doctors did say something interesting that they hadn't mentioned before: People in this situation who experience storming episodes have a better prognosis than people who don't.

And then there's what is perhaps the most exciting news of the day. After 3 weeks of Grace being stuck in a hospital bed attached to a gabillion machines, Mom and dad should get to hold her tomorrow! She's already come back to life after 2 hours of having no pulse. Who knows? Maybe she'll wake up tomorrow and give Mom and Dad a hug.

You continue to be an INCREDIBLE support to mom and dad! There had been a schedule where several of you had volunteered to watch Grace's brothers one day/week, but then today one person volunteered to watch them for the entire month of April! Grace's brothers have been through so much excitement already these last 3 weeks, and the stability of being in a consistant place is HUGE!

Dad gave mom a much needed break tonight. Mom went scrapbooking and had an amazing time!

Please pray for:

• Complete healing for Grace's brain and entire body
• Continued hope from the hospital staff
• Peace and rest for Grace's brothers
• Financial provision (If you are interested in helping in this area please e-mail GraceGoodDay.com for more information.)
• God's glory to continue and shine through the whole situation

Easter's coming!

Good Friday

My apologies for not posting an update yesterday. Mom and I kept missing each other's calls last night and I never did get an official update.

First, as we reflect on this Good Friday about our Savior's death on the cross, we also remember that today marks three weeks since Grace's fall into the lake. Three days from now we celebrate our Savior's resurrection and today we celebrate all the miracles that have occurred in Grace in the past three weeks. Mom can't help but wonder how God is using Easter in Grace's testimony.

Mom started off the conversation with, "Today is a GOOD DAY!". Please notice the name of this blog, "Grace's Good Day". Hours before the tragic incident occurred Grace looked at her Mom and said, "Mommy today is a GOOD DAY!" That phrase is a beacon of hope!

Grace breathed on her own ALL DAY yesterday! This is truly a miracle considering just three weeks ago the doctors were saying her lungs were shot and there was little hope. They put her back on the respirator last night to give her lungs a break. She has been breathing on her own so far today. This progress with Grace's breathing means that Grace will be moving to the Rehabilitation floor on Monday! This is an answer to prayer! (See earlier posts about the previous possibility of her moving to the transition floor if she could not be weaned off of the ventilator and that was not what Mom and Dad wanted.)

She will be having a trach change tomorrow. After that, the nurses will begin to train Mom and Dad to take care of the trach. The only reason Grace needs a trach is to keep her airway open. She does not need the trach to assist with breathing! Mom and Dad will also be able to hold Grace after the trach change which they have been awaiting anxiously to do for three weeks!

The storming continues to be a concern. The doctors continue to attempt to find a balance with the medicine. There is medicine to stop the storming, but one of the side effects is that Grace's blood pressure drops.

Grace will be having some additional x-rays and scans today at 11am.

Dad returned to work yesterday and he reported that all those around him were extremely supportive. He also said that it felt good to be back to work.

Mom has a friend who is studying to be a doctor and she is a resident at the same hospital as Grace. She told mom that Grace is the talk of the hospital. All the doctors are talking about that her breathing on her own is a miracle. None of this is being said to Mom and Dad by the doctors first hand, but Mom did comment that she has noticed a change in attitude from the doctors. Mom and Dad were so encouraged to hear that the medical community is recognizing the progress Grace has made as a miracle even though they won't admit that to the family's faces. It is a step!

Mom received encouragement from Psalm 42 (verse 5 specifically) last night. "Why are you so downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." Mom is choosing to praise God amongst this storm! I certainly can learn from Mom and Dad's example!

Please pray for:

• Storming to cease in JESUS NAME
• Balance for Mom and Dad
• Grace's transition to the Rehabilitation floor (new perspective and doctors/nurses who stand in faith with them)
• Easter - as they celebrate with Grace in the hospital
• Financial provision (If you are interested in helping in this area please e-mail GraceGoodDay.com for more information.)

Amazing Grace

Grace continues to amaze the doctors. At this point they are alternating 2 hours on the ventilator with 2 hours of Grace breathing on her own, and she's had no problems breathing! The doctors are hesitant to demonstrate any hope, but sources have communicated to mom that they medical staff is shocked that Grace is doing so well breathing.

The storming episodes continue to be a challenge though. The staff cut back on the medicines they use with Grace prior to the surgery, and have not returned to their previous regimin. Grace has been storming for much of the last 24 hours.

The hospital staff is being a bit difficult again. Recently, mom has had a difficult time getting real answers to simple questions. The staff had previously discussed with mom that they allow 5 days for a surgery like Grace's to heal before doing testing or anything that involves a lot of movement. Tonight, mom found out that one such test is scheduled for tomorrow, and the doctors weren't even sure if the results would be conclusive so soon after the operation.

Mom and Dad are planning to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the staff tomorrow. They also plan to ask to see more medical records and they're thinking of seeking outside opinions on Grace's scans.

Dad is planning to return to work tomorrow. Mom is still feeling no pain from the gall bladder situation - and she said that after eating so much "grass" in the past few days days, she's becoming quite fond of salad! :)

Please pray for:

• Grace's full and complete recovery/brain activity
• No more storming
• Favor with the hospital staff
• Wisdom for mom and dad to balance their family's time

Coming up to breathe

Grace has been breathing on her own for an hour now! This is a huge answer to prayer! It is also a step in the right direction to move her from the ICU to the Rehabilitation floor.

Grace experienced some significant storming last night (7 hours worth), but the doctors are now attributing that to pain experienced due to the surgery. Her storming seems to have lessened compared to last night.

The Child Life department at the hospital helped the family create a book for the family's middle son. The book includes pictures of Grace and a simple explanation of what is going on with Grace. The family plans to read it to him tomorrow.

I am always amazed and humbled after my phone conversations with Mom. Today, Mom discussed how difficult last night was with the 7 hours of storming. She commented that spiritual attacks were running rampant all with the focus on trying to distract her from spending time with Grace. Yet, Mom did not waver and finally got an opportunity at 11:30pm to read the Bible to Grace. Mom says that each day she reads the Bible and a book on intercessory prayer until she finds something that God uses to encourage her. Sometimes this encouragement comes in a few minutes of reading and other times it takes much longer, but the point is that she perseveres until she finds it! Wow, I know I was VERY challenged by Mom's perserverne to seek God until He answers!

Mom feels that all this spiritual attack must mean that something is going on that we cannot see in the natural world. Easter is coming up and though Mom does not feel that something big is necessarily going to happen on Easter she cannot help but wonder how the symbolism behind this holiday will add to Grace's testimony. Mom commented that, "You think that you can somewhat understand the sacrifice of Issac or of Jesus for that matter, but it becomes so much more real when you go through something like this." WOW - what a way to look at things.

Mom and Dad continue to go to counseling and both feel that it has been extremely beneficial. Dad is postponing going back to work until Thursday.

Please pray for:

• Grace to continue to breathe on her own
• God to create new pathways in her brain to enable full brain activity to return
• Special patience and understanding for Grace's brothers
• Wisdom in when to transition Grace to a new floor
• Storming to cease
• Presence of mind for Grace to assert her personality when coming to consciousness

Thank you again for all your encouragement and prayers. Please continue to post - this is a HUGE encouragement to the family!

Surgery: Success!

Grace's operation today was a success! She now has feeding and breathing tubes into her neck. Mom and Dad can see Grace's beautiful face again for the first time in weeks!

The next decision is where Grace will go next. In roughly 5 days time, she will either go to the rehab floor, or the transition floor. At this point, we don't have a clear picture of what the difference is. Here's what mom and dad have heard:

• Certain drugs that have controlled the storming in ICU are not allowed in rehab
• Rehab may be more familiar with storming than recovery
• Transition focuses more on the feeding/breathing tube maintenance
• Rehab focuses more on recovery/physical therapy

At this point, mom and dad are praying for the recovery floor. They are camping out at the hospital tonight to be there when the doctors make their rounds.

Grace continues to have issues with storming.its a tricky balance. Is the goal to ween grace off the drugs to make it to the rehab floor, or to use said drugs and stop the storming?

Mom continues to improve and has little gall bladder pain. She is understandably stressed by the whole situation. Dad plans to return to work on Wednesday.

Please pray for:

• Wisdom for mom and dad in making decisions
• A complete end to the storming
• Grace's complete recovery
• Peace and provision for the family. (see fromhisvoicetomyheart.blogspot.com for more info.)

How to help:

I'm a computer guy at heart who's trying to protect the family from unwanted attention. I know that search engines put a lot of weight into links, and this is the first and only one we've included to date.

Here's the site I was talking about yesterday:
http://www.fromhisvoicetomyheart.blogspot.com/

So many times in a pressure situation, having to repeatedly answer "How can I help?" just makes things worse. This is an awesome, creative site that is coordinating with the family to take that burden off them. If you want to help, it's definitely worth a read!

Operation eve

Tomorrow is the day slated for Grace's tracheotomy. Preparation for the operation has caused the family to engage in a delicate balancing act.

On one hand, there are the storming episodes, which cause Grace's pulse to go up significantly and can't be comfortable for Grace.

On the other hand, medicines cause Grace's blood pressure to go down, they could lead to possible addiction and that doesn't mention any other side effects that strong medicines can have. Also, too much medicine in Grace's system could postpone the operation, which in turn would postpone her transfer out of ICU... Mom described Grace's medicine level as "borderline."

The family returned to church today! They felt very welcomed and encouraged by the whole experience. Worship songs for the day included the ever timely songs "Praise you in this storm" and "Never let go." And the topic of the sermon: having faith.

Dad is considering returning to work on Wednesday for the first time since the original incident.

Mom canceled her gall bladder appointment on Thursday, as her condition has improved considerably!

Please pray for:

• Grace to walk and speak again as she completely recovers
• Mom's continued and complete healing from any issues, gall bladder or other.
• Grace's successful operation leading to her transfering from ICU
• Dad's transition back to work
• Continued financial provision for the family. (e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com for info on how to help)
• Peace and understanding for Grace's brothers - mom and dad plan to spend additional time with Grace after her operation.

Also, we won't link to it here for confidentiality reasons, but there is a website started by another family friend describing other specific ways that people could help the family. If interested, please e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com and we can send you the link.

Another step forward

Editor's note: our computer lost its marbles today. We are committed to keeping this blog updated consistently. We don't anticipate this, but if If we miss a day, it's probably our fault and not anything with Grace.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for breakthrough with Grace's doctor - it appears to have worked! The doctor walked into the room today and said, "Yesterday I think we were here and here and today I think we have some overlapping ideas". He continued to talk about how he had gone home and done some thinking. He agreed to use some of the drugs as "rescue" drugs to stop storming when storming persisted beyond a reasonable amount of time. The family ran into him downstairs with their two boys and he made an effort to stop and meet the rest of the family. Mom was very encouraged by the doctors change in attitude.

Grace only stormed for 45 minutes between the time of 8:00am and 5:30pm. Praise GOD! Grace stopped storming on her own again as the nurse was walking in with the medicine to stop the episode! Grace is still on schedule to have the surgery on Monday at 1:15pm.

Mom's gall bladder has improved to where she hasn't needed any pain medication today!

God has really been using others to encourage the family in all different shapes and forms. The guys from Dad's old small group are taking Dad out to breakfast tomorrow. Friends continue to bring meals for the family. God continues to provide financially through those sources that one may least expect. Grace's church continues to stand strong with them! They are being quite resourceful in finding ways to help - even going to the point of helping Dad fix the dryer! All sorts of people around Grace's family are coming out with stories of their family members who for one reason or another had an MRI showing brain damage and then came back to lead perfectly healthy lives!

Perhaps today's biggest challenge is with Grace's brother. He's still deeply missing Grace, and doesn't understand why she can't be home with him. He's been extra fussy, and has been hoarding Grace's possessions.

Again, thank you for your continued comments! They carry very special meaning to mom and dad!

Please continue to pray for:

• Grace's full recovery
• Mom's continued recovery
• Grace's successful tracheotomy on Monday
• Grace's triumphant transfer from ICU
• Emotional healing for Grace's brother and the family
• Continued financial provision for the family. (e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com for info on how to help. If you e-mailed and haven't heard back yet, please e-mail again... pesky blue screens of death!)

Easter's coming!

Progress!

Progress today on all fronts!

Grace's storming episodes appear to be lessening! Today she went 6 hours without any episodes! Not only that, but she's also begun to end the storming sessions ON HER OWN WITHOUT MEDICINE!!! This has not happened in the 2 weeks she's been in the hospital, but it happened multiple times today!

Another victory, there were no new conflicts with the attending doctor today!

Mom and Dad are really praying for Grace to be able to leave ICU to transfer to recovery. The ICU staff sees a lot of trauma and difficult situations. Even though they do the best possible job, at times they seem to be somewhat hardened toward the humanity of a situation. The recovery floor is thought to be much more conducive to hope, and we want Grace to be around plenty of hope!

To move to the recovery floor before her brain returns to normal, Grace needs to have a tracheotomy, which is scheduled for Monday. To have the tracheotomy, Grace needs to be off certain drugs, and be free of any fever/sickness.

Dad wanted us to mention that after this life-altering event he decided to see a good counselor. Mom went with him to his first appointment yesterday, and things are going very well! More appointments are scheduled for next week.

Even though Grace's brothers are younger, this trauma is affecting them too. They aren't quite old enough to grasp that Grace is staying with the doctors, but one of her brothers is definitely mature enough to miss having Grace as a playmate. Today, he found Grace's shoes and cuddled up with them during a nap.

Easter, the day of celebrating hope and new beginnings is just around the corner! What an awesome opportunity for Grace to continue today's progress toward her recovery!

Please continue to comment. Mom and Dad are reading them, and repeatedly mention how encouraged they feel when they see them!

Please continue to pray for:

• Grace's full recovery
• Mom's full recovery
• Grace's successful tracheotomy coming up on Monday
• Grace's successful move out of ICU
  
• Continued favor with the hospital staff
• Emotional healing for mom, dad, Grace, and her siblings
  
• Financial Provision for mom and dad. (e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com for info on how to help out here.)
  

Not against flesh and blood...

Mom and dad spent a good amount of time today grappling for ways to persuade Grace's doctor.

Grace had another 3-hour storming episode that attending doctor refused to stop. When confronted with several articles implying that storming has negative health effects, the doctor made it clear that he doesn't care what the articles say, he has experience and will do as he pleases.

Grace has a Tracheotomy scheduled for Monday at approx. 1:15pm. This is a step toward Grace being able to leave the ICU.

Mom is going to see a doctor next Thursday about having gall bladder surgery. She'd like to take care of the issue before it becomes an emergency.

Ephesians 6:12 says "For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. "

Please pray for:

• Grace's complete recovery
• Mom's complete recovery
• Doctors willing to cooperate with mom and dad
• Financial Provision for mom and dad. (e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com if you're interested in helping.)

Triumphs and Challenges

Triumph: Mom got her ultrasound results back today. She doesn't need to immediately have surgery!
Challenge: Mom has several gall stones and will "eventually" need to have her gall bladder removed.

Triumph: Grace went 5 hours today without storming!
Challenge: The attending ICU doctor changed to one who doesn't believe storming is harmful, and thus refuses to stop the episodes, citing fear of addiction to the medicine. One such episode lasted for 3 hours. Mom is going to try talking to said doctor ASAP.

Triumph: So far, nobody else has caught the flu that Grace's extended family had.

Please pray for:

• Complete restoration of Grace's brain activity!
• An extra measure of love and respect in mom and dad's marriage
• Mom and family's health
• An end to the storming episodes Grace is experiencing
• Favor with the medical staff
• Financial provision for mom and dad (if you would like to help, please e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com for more information)

Calmness amoungst the storm

First, thank you for all your comments, prayers and scriptures that you have all written on the blog! Mom told me she got a chance to read them this afternoon and was VERY encouraged! Again, if you have problems posting a comment for some reason you can always e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com and I will post it for you. Please do not use any of the family's names in any shape or form in the post though. If you have witnessed an amazing healing in your life or seen it happen it in someone else's life it would be awesome if you could post it in the comment section to encourage the family.

We received a quick update from the family today which included some clarification on the events of yesterday. Mom went to the hospital two nights ago with a localized pain below her ribs. They did not do an ultrasound at the hospital due to it being so late at night. She went for an ultrasound the following day and is awaiting the results which should be in tomorrow. The doctor said he was 50% sure it was her gall bladder.

Grace's new medicine continues to limit her "storming" to every two hours. She opened her eyes today! Other than that Mom reported that their had been little change in the natural, but we KNOW God is at WORK!

This is probably the shortest post we have posted, but there is nothing else to report. Please keep fighting with the family for Grace and her complete healing and restoration!

Please pray for:

• Mom's health (gull bladder)
• The "storming" to cease and brain activity to be restored in all areas of her brain
• God to create his own pathway in place of the ones that have been damaged between the front and back of her brain
• Mom and Dad's marriage to stand strong in the midst of this storm
• An extra measure of peace and contentedness over Grace's two brothers
• Immunity/protection against the flu for the family
• Financial provision for the family (if you are interested in helping in this way please e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com for more information)
• Grace's complete healing!

Attacks: We WILL NOT waver!

I just received a call from mom and she began the phone call with the comment, "Do you want to hear something funny?". Mom then explained to me news that was far from funny which included that she was in the ER due to reoccurring pain she has over the past two days that she could no longer ignore. The ER believes that it is her gall bladder. She was awaiting results from the ultrasound. As if that isn't enough, the family's niece who is in town with dad's parents has the flu and is vomiting - therefore the entire family has been exposed to the flu.

Mom stated, "This is definitely a spiritual attack!" This may sound strange to some, but the fact that the devil is attacking means that our fighting is working! The devil is not pleased, to say the least, that the body of Christ is standing together in this and fighting for this little girl's life. This situation has already brought SO much glory to God and it will continue to until Grace's complete restoration and throughout all of Grace's life. We must stand against this spiritual attack and fight like we all have never fought before. God has given mom an incredible measure of faith and positive outlook despite the natural circumstances.

I am happy to report that Grace's "brain storming" has shown improvement! Before Grace was experiencing these storming episodes every half hour and touch was also setting them off. Now, with a new medicine Grace is only experiencing the storming every two hours and touch does not seem to be setting them off anymore. PRAISE GOD!

Keep the comments, prayers and scriptures coming - the family needs them more now then ever! If you are having problems posting a comment e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com with your problem and we will try to help you through it or just e-mail us the comment and we will get it on the blog and/or read it to the family!

Please pray for:

• Mom's health and her gall bladder - supernatural healing of two people in their family would be quite a testimony :)
• Complete Healing and Restoration for Grace
• Dad's strength to fight for his daughter double time as Mom is in the hospital herself
• Immunity/protection from the flu for anyone involved with Grace
• Financial provision (please e-mail info@GraceGoodDay.com if interested in finding out more information concerning helping in this way)
• That even this will bring GLORY to GOD!
• Pray against future spiritual attacks on this family

Moving Forward...

First, let me express how much the comments, prayers and scriptures that you all put in the comment section on the blog mean to the family. They are visiting home now and therefore are able to read the comments on their own. Please keep posting comments! You can post as many comments as you want - you are not limited! It encourages the family that others are still standing with them from near and far! It also shows the family that others have NOT given up and WILL NOT give up on Grace. We need to continue the fight for Grace! I am praying for a flood of comments to fill this blog this next week.

Mom and Dad met with the neurologist today to discuss yesterday's MRI results. The MRI picture shows that the brain stem is just fine! PRAISE GOD! The frontal lobes of her brain where processing and emotions occur are also doing well. The concern is with the back of the brain which shows the greatest amount of damage. This part of the brain controls movement. The pathways that connect the front and back of the brain are also damaged. So medically, even though the frontal lobes are doing well Grace cannot use them due to the pathways being damaged.

Mom firmly believes and is standing in FAITH that God is going to create a new pathway from the frontal lobes to the back of her brain. Mom is most concerned about Grace being back to her self - personality wise which would involve the frontal lobes! Mom expressed this to the doctors and the doctors did say that "the next time they take the MRI the picture could look totally different - things do change". As our pastor has often quoted, "Facts are subject to change!" The family asks you to stand in FAITH for this fact to change due to the healing power of our amazing GOD!

Mom and Dad both feel that it would be best to transfer Grace out of ICU onto a recovery floor as soon as possible. Mom said that ICU sees trama all the time and is not necesarly focused so much on recovery due to the seriousness of the cases in ICU. She is looking forward to moving to recovery for a fresh perspective! In order for Grace to move to a recovery floor she must be breathing on her own. They are weaning her off of the breathing machine the next step is a trach. A trach can be reversed in the future when Grace is able to completely breath on her own and clear her airway by coughing or gagging.

That is where things are at the moment.

Please pray for:

• God to create a new pathway between the front and the back of her brain
• Easy and quick transition from the ICU to a general recovery floor
• A fresh perspective from the doctors and nurses on the new floor
• The trach surgery to go smoothly with no complications
• Financial provision for the family

Thank you again for all your prayers and support.

One Week Later

7 days after the incident, Grace is still fighting! A few hours before the incident, Grace told mom "Mommy? Today is a Good Day!" We're continuing to believe for her full recovery!

Grace continues to struggle with the storming episodes, and there hasn't been a lot of change since yesterday. Mom and dad have been a bit concerned about some of their dealings with the hospital staff. They tried to talk to the neurology department for more information/a second opinion on yesterday's MRI. They were informed that the neurology deptartment doesn't feel the need to talk to them. Mom and dad are a bit puzzled by that response, but will continue trying. There's also some concern that the nurses aren't taking the storming episodes as seriously as mom and dad would like. Mom and dad plan to raise their concerns with the doctors tomorrow.

Grace's brother continues to assume that Grace is still just in the other room. He tries to talk to her and bring her favorite toys to her. Mom and Dad also miss having Grace at home. Things like the half-assembled jigsaw puzzle that Grace was working on continue to remind the family that Grace hasn't returned home yet.

Many have asked if a fund exists where they could give financial support to this family going through such a difficult time. Yes there is such a fund. I won't post the information here for confidentiality reasons. However, if you would like more information, please e-mail info@gracegoodday.com saying that you would like such information. We would be happy to reply!

Please pray for:

• A miraculous restoration of Grace's full brain activity
• A complete end to the storming episodes.
• Favor with the hospital staff
• Financial provision for the family
• A group of people to stand in faith with mom and dad
• Rest and good spirits for the entire family

Good news and challenging news

Results came back tonight from today's MRI. Mom and dad re awaiting a second opinion that hasn't come in yet.

First the good news:

• The swelling in Grace's brain has receded!
• The best case scenario improved over the previous negative report.

Then the challenging news:

• This doctor looked at the results and saw what he thought was widespread brain damage.
• The doctor expressed doubt over the effectiveness of Grace's gag reflex. On Monday he wants to consider a tracheotomy and a feeding tube to alleviate the risk of Grace choking.
• The doctor said that the best results he's seen from a patient with a scan like Grace's is someone who couldn't walk or talk, but could communicate likes and dislikes through groans and hand signals. No word on if he's seen anyone overcome the obsticles that God has already brought Grace through.
• The doctor also discussed a scenario where Grace improves and is weened to survive without life support. Grace would then transfer out of ICU, and the staff would train mom and dad to care for Grace for a month before Grace would go home. Grace going home at all is a possibility not even dreamed of in the previous negative report.

That report is from a single opinion. Another specialist may say that Grace could walk out of the hospital under her own power.

Mom and dad went home tonight for the first time in a week. When Grace's brother saw mom and dad, he assumed that Grace must be in her room. He then grabbed some of Grace's favorite toys and rushed to Grace's room to give the toys to her. Mom and dad had to explain why Grace wasn't there.

God was able to raise Lazarus from the dead after 3 days. No one knows the mind of God, but he's at least capable of completely restoring Grace to her normal self.

Please pray for:

• Miraculous restoration of full brain activity for Grace
• An end to the storming episodes that Grace has continued to experience
• Strength and Wisdom for mom and dad to make the right decisions
• Strength for the family (including Grace's brothers) to endure these challenging times
• God's financial provision for the family

Grace and Peace

Your comments are very encouraging to Mom and dad! Please keep them coming!

Grace had another good day today! She's still experiencing some "storming." It appears that the storming may be related to her sense of touch being interpreted as pain. Grace is trying to lift her entire body off the bed, which lessens the doctor's concern that she may have spinal cord damage. She's also periodically opened her eyes, but less so today as she's been given some medicine to help ease the storming.

Mom and Dad are going to watch Grace's favorite movie (Finding Nemo) with her tonight.

Through all this, Grace still looks beautiful! The nurses washed her hair, braided it into pigtails, and gave her a beautiful hospital gown that looks like a dress! Grace looks like she's ready at any moment to jump out of bed, throw off all the equipment, and go chasing butterflies through a field of wildflowers on a warm, sunny day!

Grace has an MRI tomorrow. A neurologist or two will probably interpret the results and give a report. Good news might be nice, but given the magic-8-ball type nature (see previous post) of things, noboby's holding their breath.

Another family with a daughter of similar age and condition is in a nearby room. While it's sad that the girl is experiencing her current set of circumstances, it is also very encouraging that girl's parents are standing in faith together with mom and dad! It would be awesome if one day the two girls could travel together sharing their stories!

Mom and dad are starting to get a sense that Grace's recovery may be a process. Tomorrow they're going to start transitioning back into everyday life. They're going to be spending mornings with Grace while the doctors gather information and make decisions, but they're also going to start caring for Grace's brothers who have stayed with other families all week.

Grace's brother is old enough to notice that something is different, but still too young to understand. He's started asking where Grace is.

And today Grace's family saw another sign that things may be returning to normal - dad started making his bad puns again!

Grace still desperately needs your prayers! Please pray for the following items:

• Continued miraculous healing for Grace.
  
• Strength and courage for mom and dad to return home and face Grace's room full of all Grace's things - except for Grace.
• A good report on the MRI
  
• Wisdom and strength for mom and dad as they begin trying to resume life for the first time since the incident.
  

Neurology and The Magic 8-Ball

Even with the best doctors in the world using the best equipment money can buy, an honest neurologist will admit that there's a lot he/she doesn't understand about the human brain. In fact, a typical neurologist can interpret brain activity almost as well as a weatherman can predict the "snowstorm of the century." You know the one I'm talking about - that one that invariably recieves a week of hype every few years before it drops a measley inch of snow.

The neurologist reports on Grace frenquently sound like they are coming from a magic 8-ball. Near shift change it's usually "Better not tell you now." Some have given the honest appraisal: "Reply hazy, try again." The neurologist lacking bedside manor essentialy gave an "Outlook not so good" while the very next guy on the very next shift said "Outlook good" followed by a "Cannot predict now." What's more, the test results are insignificant if Grace isn't able to intentionally move around. So if one test looks absolutely AWESOME but Grace still isn't moving, you'll essentially get a "Concentrate and ask again."

Do brain scans give enough useful information to make life or death decisions? Frustrated after getting 2 diametrically opposed opinions yesterday on the exact same set of data, many people would say "My reply is no."

Brain scans can reveal some interesting trends. However, if you're looking for a revelation to come from a brain scan, the moral of the story may be "Don't count on it."

God's Grace

Your prayers, wishes, and comments here and to our e-mail have been VERY energizing to mom and dad! Thank you for continuing to lift them up, and please keep them coming!!!

Today has been a restful day for Grace. The "storming" continues, sometimes accompanied by tears in her eyes. It's difficult to watch, because it makes one assume that Grace experiences pain when it happens.

Grace's family and friends have come out to visit for a few days. It's incredible to have support from loved ones. Please pray for sensitivity during this challenging time.

Please also pray for:

- Rest for mom and dad
- Continued healing for Grace
- Grace to improve to where she no longer experiences the "storming"

Sorry for the delay in updates

We just got home from a one day trip to stand in the gap for our dear friends and their daughter Grace and we have some exciting updates to share with all of you.

First off, the cat scan results that caused a lack of hope in the family were looked at by another doctor. The second doctor said there was differentiation in gray matter in the brain and that she had "sluggish" brain activity, but that it was way to early to tell what the functioning of her brain was actually doing! Thank God for a second look at these scans. Mom was able to ask this doctor many questions and was greatly encouraged by the news.

We arrived and got to see precious Grace. For those of you who are not near by or don't even know Grace personally I would like to tell you she looks beautiful! She was dressed in a darling blue hospital gown that looked like a Little House on the Prairie dress and her hair was braided in pigtails.

The doctors did a third cat scan today and the results are in - the swelling has peaked and started to lessen! Praise God! The tests are great, but the doctors said the true measure of brain functioning are her movements and responsiveness. We need to stand together and pray for intentional/purposeful movements. Movements such as her opening her eyes, trying to grab the tubes out of her and other things a typical three year old would do. Grace's mom was in the room with her and she witnessed one of her eyes opening and her hand moving up toward a tube with a closed fist. She is also coughing which is actually a GOOD sign that she has more than just her brain stem functioning! This will show the doctors what we already know, that she is a miracle child, and that she does have higher level brain functioning!

Mom and Dad's faith has definitely been tested in the last 48 hours, but when we left mom especially seemed to be renewed. For those not living near them, please pray for those around them to remain positive and to stand in faith with them even when circumstances may be challenging. Mom has her tenacious attitude back and we are SO proud of her! We know their renewed faith is due to the numerous prayers that have gone out from all over the country.

I am sure there is more I am forgetting, but it is very late. I will update more tomorrow!

Please make comments on the blog. Write prayers, how you have been affected or how other have already been affected by the miracles that have occurred thus far and will continue to occur! Unfortunately, the hospital does not have wireless Internet access so I will be reading these comments to them when they call me with updates. They are SO excited to start hearing these and so I am counting on all of you to fill this blog with comments to encourage them and to show them how many people are standing in faith with them. They are able to see the people around them, but I do not think they realize how many people across the world are standing in the gap for them. Let's continue to be the body of Christ and demonstrate this to them! Remember to include the name as Grace and not to mention any other names.

God, Grace is healed and she is a living testimony to your healing power!

Specific Prayers:
1. Continuation of renewed faith for mom and dad and those around them
2. Purposeful/Intentional movement
3. Kidneys to retain sodium (right now it is all coming out in her urine)
4. Courage to stand up for their daughter and to not allow any negativity to surround her
5. "Brainstorming" to cease (brainstorming is a medical term and causes her blood pressure and heart rate to go up - they sedate her every time this happens)
6. The two other boys as they have been staying with friends since the incident (Friday)

Slight update

Quick update: mom and dad are sleeping now after an arduous day. Grace's youngest brother has gone home. He still has a fever, but it's not as serious.

Please pray for wisdom for mom and dad, as well as miraculous healing for Grace.

Jesus heals a little girl

Mark 5:35-43

While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. "Your daughter is dead," they said. "Why bother the teacher any more?"
Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, "Don't be afraid; just believe."
He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. He went in and said to them, "Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child's father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!" ). Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.

Being Sure of what we Hope For

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

This is what Grace needs right now.

Grace had a brain scan this evening, with less activity than everyone was hoping for. The doctors' prognosis is that Grace at best could survive on life support in a vegetative state.

2 Samuel 12:16-23 tells of a time when King David's own son became very ill. While the child was alive with a less than rosy diagnosis, David "pleaded with God for the child" for days. he thought "Who knows? the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live."

Similarly, we need to continue and pray for Grace and not falter in times of trouble. Please continue to pray for renewed brain activity that will astonish all those around her!

Grace's family could also use your prayers. Her youngest brother has now checked into the hospital with a high fever, and Dad and Mom are overcome with grief.

Your continued prayers are needed! We'll keep you updated as we find out more.

Standing in FAITH

The Cat-Scan results are in and have confirmed that Grace's brain is swelling. There is no protocol for this swelling due to it being cellular swelling. There is nothing the doctors can do, BUT with God ALL things are possible. Please pray that the swelling will peak quickly and then go back down to normal. Prolonged swelling of the brain is what causes permanent brain damage.

As the swelling peaks, Grace's body systems will begin to shut down and the doctors will need to help her keep these systems going. Previously, Grace had been doing most of the breathing on her own along with a little help from the breathing machine, but now she is taking only a few breaths on her own. She is generally non-responsive at this time.

Mom and Dad are standing in faith. I talked to mom just a couple minutes ago and she stated over and over again that "Grace IS healed". Sometimes, it takes a while for the natural to catch up with the supernatural! Mom is confident that this is a testing of her faith and she stated that God has told her that "it is easy to have faith when everything is going well, but will you have faith when the circumstances show otherwise?" "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of we do not see" Hebrews 11:1 Mom and Dad are standing strong!

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.
Please be careful with your comments - see post concerning this due to media coverage.

Please help the family - don't use names.

Today's media is a funny thing. They work very hard to get the news out there. Some of them are honorable, others not. At any given time, you just never know who's leading the charge or what their agenda is.

You can find a quick list of their stories with a quick Google search.

We have a lot more information here than they do and we don't want it to be used in a hurtful way. Please feel free to e-mail this site to your friends - Grace needs your prayers! Your comments are also appreciated! However, Until the family says otherwise, we really want to keep this site off the afforementioned Google list. To help us do that, please respect these guidelines:

1. Until we post otherwise, please DO NOT LINK to this site from any other sites.
2. Until we post otherwise, please DO NOT use real names, locations, or details that would link this blog to what happened. For now, the girl is Grace, her dad is "dad", her mom is "mom".
3. Please don't leak this site to the media.
4. If you are part of the media, please have a shred of human decency and show the restraint to leave this information out of your stories until the family is ready.

Thank you for your help!

Prayer Still Needed

At this hour, we have the first challenging news since Grace arrived at the hospital. At approx. 4:15am EST, the hospital staff woke her parents with the news that Grace's pupils were dilated to different sizes. The doctors see this as a possible sign of brain damage, and as such they are calling for a second C-T scan.

After the long string of HUGE victories that Grace has experienced, we know in our hearts that this is just a misunderstanding. We need to pray for the symptoms to line up with the TRUTH that there never was any brain damage. This will become just another part of the testimony of what God brought Grace through.

Exciting News!

Great news!

Less than 48 hours after the tragic event, Grace is well on her way to making a full recovery!

Here is the latest:

The doctors are slowly weening Grace off of machines to assist her breathing! There are currently tubes removing fluid from her lungs, which the doctors put in there post-haste. Because there was no time to go through all the standard disenfection procedures before inserting said tubes, there is some concern about a collateral infection taking hold once the tubes are removed. We pray that this will NOT be the case! Once these tubes are removed and Grace proves that she can breathe unassisted, she will be about ready to leave ICU!

NO BRAIN SWELLING! The doctors were in a state of constant vigilence looking for brain swelling as a possible indicator of brain damage. We are VERY excited to report that none has been found! The prevailing wisdom is that if it hasn't happen yet, it probably wont' happen at all! AMEN!

Grace is moving in response to voices. She's attempted to wake up, but her blood pressure goes up when she tries. (if I woke up attached to a ton of machines, I'd probably flip out too!) This has happened several times, and they keep giving her more medicine each time it occurs.

Wow! This is an AMAZING turnaround in less than 48 hours! Please keep praying that Grace is able to walk out of the hospital and return to a normal life - and DO IT SOON!